Las Vegas' bids for getting NCAA championship occasions struck snag

Las Vegas' bids for getting NCAA championship occasions struck snag

A possible landmark change in the NCAA's position against putting champion events in Nevada now appears to be on hold.

Next month, the NCAA Board of Governors will consider an official proposal from UNLV and the Mountain West to stage 3 NCAA championship occasions in Las Vegas from 2019-22.

Separate from those is a proposition to play the entire females's Sweet 16 to the Final 4 in Vegas. That would have to be approved by different NCAA entities.

Nevertheless, multiple sources have actually told CBS Sports the opportunity of those bids being authorized have reduced of late. That's due to the fact that the NCAA continues to be a plaintiff battling a New Jersey law passed in 2014 enabling sports gambling within the state.

Up until now, New Jersey has stopped working on every front to implement the law. In addition to the NCAA, plaintiffs battling the law include the NFL, NBA, NHL and Big League Baseball, as well as the Department of Justice

The United States Supreme Court remains in the process of choosing whether it will hear New Jersey's appeal in the case. West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin have actually also submitted briefs with the court in support of New Jersey.

In brief, it's a case of bad optics for the NCAA at this time. Sources say the association would be hesitant to authorize championship events in Nevada while it battles sports gambling in New Jersey.

The NCAA's veteran policy has been to keep champions from states that allow sports betting. However the week started with the Oakland Raiders revealing a move to Las Vegas. The new T-Mobile Arena in the city will be the house of the expansion Golden Knights of the NHL next fall.

Numerous conferences play their postseason conference basketball tournaments in the city. This previous season, North Carolina and Kentucky met in T-Mobile for a neutral-site video game.

College types believed the momentum for NCAA events in Nevada-- particularly Vegas-- was inevitable.

" This is rhetorical," said Jim Livengood, who retired as UNLV's athletic director in 2013 and is now an expert for Las Vegas Events, an event management business which has worked on the bid, "however wouldn't you think that if there was a concern with NFL, it wouldn't concern Nevada?"

The in-depth bid for several champion events in the state of Nevada is thought to be the very first of its kind to be considered by the NCAA.

" We're held to a different standard," stated UNLV ADVERTISEMENT Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who has long combated for NCAA occasions. With hockey coming in and the marvelous Raiders, there is definitely no reason for this coming in."

A successful quote would basically open up the NCAA to Las Vegas after years of the association preventing the betting Mecca. The proposals consist of Las Vegas hosting a males's basketball regional in T-Mobile Arena as well as wrestling and males's ice hockey national championships.

If the board does not approve the quotes, Nevada would be locked out until at least the next quote cycle beginning in 2023.

" We're going to miss out on that four-year window," Livengood said. "The terrible feature of that is it's not about Vegas, however the experience the teams and student-athletes could have."

In early March, Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference competition, kept in Las Vegas.

It has been just recently the NCAA apparently shifted its position relating to staging champion events in Nevada, which legalized sports betting in 1949.

In December 2015, NCAA president Mark Emmert kept in mind "what frequently appears to be a hypocritical position," by the association regarding Las Vegas. At that time, he anticipated there would be "robust discussion" among the NCAA membership concerning Nevada.

Social mores have actually changed. Four Division I conferences stage their postseason college basketball competitions in Las Vegas (Pac-12, WAC, West Coast and Mountain West). Those occasions aren't governed by the NCAA.

" [Our fans] probably wouldn't take a trip there if it wasn't in Vegas," stated Gonzaga coach Mark Few, whose team plays every year in the West Coast Conference competition. "It will be exciting to have an NFL team down there. I make sure Las Vegas has actually been awaiting that."

As for the fret about Sin City's vices, Couple of stated, "Betting is everywhere. [Why stress over Vegas] when it remains in our own front backyard and backyard?"

The NCAA board imp source will think about the most current Nevada proposal on April 25. When it would send a recommendation, that is after the NCAA Council meets April 12-14.

" I think it was tracking well," one high-ranking NCAA official stated of Nevada. "I believe we have actually had these test pilots being out there a bunch, championship game that have handled it well.

" It looks like a sensible location when you take a look at that area of the country. It's accessible. There are easy flights."

Western cities haven't been using to host NCAA males's competition websites because of the dearth of venues in that region. From 2008-16 the West Regional rotated between Anaheim (Honda Center), Los Angeles (Staples Center) and the Phoenix area in every year but one (2010, Salt Lake).

This month, the West Regional was played in San Jose, California. Up until this week in Glendale, Arizona, a real Western city hasn't played host to the this content Last 4 given that 1995 (Seattle).

Nevada is among four states across the country to allow sports wagering. In a strange one-off, the NCAA did allow the ladies's basketball West Regional to be played in Las Vegas in 1991.

It is thought there has actually been no revenue-sport champion occasion played in the state ever since.

" There will at some point be NCAA champion occasions held in Nevada," Livengood said. "That's going to happen. It's not an if, it's a when."

The NCAA's long-time policy has been to withhold championships from states that allow sports wagering. The week started with the Oakland Raiders announcing a move to Las Vegas." We're held to a different standard," said UNLV AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who has long combated for NCAA events. Four Division I conferences stage their postseason college basketball competitions in nevada news Las Vegas (Pac-12, WAC, West Coast and Mountain West)." There will sometime be NCAA champion occasions held in Nevada," Livengood stated.